Safe Training, Racing at Laurel Park Reported to MRC

Laurel Park management told the Maryland Racing Commission Jan. 4 that no catastrophic breakdowns have occurred there since the track reopened for workouts Dec. 10 and for racing Dec. 16 after maintenance to its dirt surface.

Racing was canceled at Laurel in early December after a spike in equine fatalities in November. This followed the surface undergoing renovations in the spring and summer while racing in the state shifted to Pimlico Race Course. 

Mike Rogers, president of racing for the Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Laurel, said over 1,600 workouts or starts from horses have taken place since the track reopened. He indicated that track crews had added about 2,000 tons of course sand to the track with an estimate of 1,000 more tons still to come.

MRC member Dr. Tom Bowman, who chairs the MRC's Equine Health, Safety, and Welfare Advisory Committee, expressed concern to commissioners about disagreement within the track's maintenance consultants, leaving him to wonder who among them is "actually the pilot of the ship."

Rogers responded that any disagreement is related to the timing of when the track would ultimately dig into the "pad" of the racetrack.

Unrelated to its earlier issues, Laurel has been closed for training the past two days after a winter storm. Track officials are preparing to re-open Jan. 5, though breezes on Wednesday will not be allowed.

During the meeting, the commission approved the addition of three Thursdays of racing: Jan. 6, 20, and 27.